Microsoft to open an Australian flagship Store in Sydney by 2013?

According to a tipster over at WPDownUnder, Microsoft may well be looking to unveil a flagship store in Sydney, Australia. The report suggests the software giant will open up a bricks and mortar store before 2013 to follow the US advancement.

WPDownUnder notes that should a UK store open its doors, it would spark the beginning of an alteration to the partnership with Arvato, a third-party outsourcing provider who manages Microsoft's online store in 31 countries.

With Microsoft soon to launch Windows 8, the Surface tablet range, and Windows Phone 8 ("Apollo") it makes sense for the company to look at ways to further engage with consumers directly. We've seen this with Windows Phone so there's no reason why we can't see a different Microsoft from the corporate beast what we've grown to love and hate.

Would you prefer to see the company expand globally with stores to combat competition?

That is the sweetest news I heard all day (except maybe Spain kicking Porto's sorry ass in the euro), but whatever. I had called up my cuzzibro in the US just last week to tell him about the surface and me transferring money to him so he could buy one for me when it came out. This, Sir, is totally awesome. I will get to play with it as well beforehand!!